Patriots might be a dynasty, but they don’t stack up
[size=-1]By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, February 8, 2005 [/size]
They're a dynasty, these New England Patriots, in theory and in practice.
Three Super Bowl championships in four seasons is entitlement enough.
As to what degree the Pats are dynastic, that subject is much more open to debate.
Teams aren't supposed to win three Super Bowl championships in four seasons in the era of free agency and the salary cap.
The last team to do so, the early 1990s Dallas Cowboys, was constructed before free agency and the cap became the dominating influences on the game that they are today.
Ergo, he Patriots duplicating the Cowboys' feat could be interpreted as more of an accomplishment, and in fact was on Sunday by Troy Aikman, who quarterbacked those Cowboys teams to immortality.
But it can also be argued that the Patriots don't deserve equal billing with Aikman's Cowboys or any of the NFL's dynasties past, let alone favored status, because of free agency and the cap.
The gap is lesser now between the great teams and the also-rans because of free agency and the cap, and it's also more difficult to keep a great team together.
But by the same token, what passes for great today wouldn't have cut it in Aikman's day, or Montana's or Noll's or Lombardi's.
These Patriots, with their reliance on team play and their versatility and their dedication to detail and their all-for-one concept, are the story of the new millennium. But that doesn't mean they've been as good since 2000 as the Cowboys were in the 1990s or the 49ers in the 1980s or the Steelers in the 1970s or the Packers in the 1960s.
Or the Marv Levy's perennial runner-up Bills in the early 1990s, for that matter.
What the Patriots are is the new standard for excellence in a league that has de-emphasized the concept.
What they've figured out is the most reliable way to win games in this day and age is to let the other teams lose them. The Patriots don't make many spectacular plays because they aren't comprised of dominating talents capable of individual brilliance.
But they win because they rarely if ever make mistakes, and because they pounce when the other team invariably does.
That's not something the Patriots should be apologizing for, but it doesn't mean they've redefined greatness for the ages.
Credit them for doing what they had to do against all comers, from Manning to Roethlisberger to McNabb this postseason along the way to Lombardi Trophy No. III.
Just keep it in perspective.
And realize that New England's reign will last as long as it takes for the rest of the league to appreciate the virtues of discipline, preparation, playing hard and playing smart, and playing as close to mistake-free football for as long as possible, or at least until the other team blinks.
Once upon a time, Super Bowls were won by acrobatics from Lynn Swann, by Joe Montana beating the clock, by the firm of Aikman, Irvin & Smith, by a 75-yard cutback from Marcus Allen, by The Hogs, and by the Packer Sweep.
Now they're won by Adam Vinatieri field goals.
It is what it is.
And these Patriots are what they are, what passes for a dynasty in what the NFL has become.
:smoker2:
[size=-1]By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, February 8, 2005 [/size]
They're a dynasty, these New England Patriots, in theory and in practice.
Three Super Bowl championships in four seasons is entitlement enough.
As to what degree the Pats are dynastic, that subject is much more open to debate.
Teams aren't supposed to win three Super Bowl championships in four seasons in the era of free agency and the salary cap.
The last team to do so, the early 1990s Dallas Cowboys, was constructed before free agency and the cap became the dominating influences on the game that they are today.
Ergo, he Patriots duplicating the Cowboys' feat could be interpreted as more of an accomplishment, and in fact was on Sunday by Troy Aikman, who quarterbacked those Cowboys teams to immortality.
But it can also be argued that the Patriots don't deserve equal billing with Aikman's Cowboys or any of the NFL's dynasties past, let alone favored status, because of free agency and the cap.
The gap is lesser now between the great teams and the also-rans because of free agency and the cap, and it's also more difficult to keep a great team together.
But by the same token, what passes for great today wouldn't have cut it in Aikman's day, or Montana's or Noll's or Lombardi's.
These Patriots, with their reliance on team play and their versatility and their dedication to detail and their all-for-one concept, are the story of the new millennium. But that doesn't mean they've been as good since 2000 as the Cowboys were in the 1990s or the 49ers in the 1980s or the Steelers in the 1970s or the Packers in the 1960s.
Or the Marv Levy's perennial runner-up Bills in the early 1990s, for that matter.
What the Patriots are is the new standard for excellence in a league that has de-emphasized the concept.
What they've figured out is the most reliable way to win games in this day and age is to let the other teams lose them. The Patriots don't make many spectacular plays because they aren't comprised of dominating talents capable of individual brilliance.
But they win because they rarely if ever make mistakes, and because they pounce when the other team invariably does.
That's not something the Patriots should be apologizing for, but it doesn't mean they've redefined greatness for the ages.
Credit them for doing what they had to do against all comers, from Manning to Roethlisberger to McNabb this postseason along the way to Lombardi Trophy No. III.
Just keep it in perspective.
And realize that New England's reign will last as long as it takes for the rest of the league to appreciate the virtues of discipline, preparation, playing hard and playing smart, and playing as close to mistake-free football for as long as possible, or at least until the other team blinks.
Once upon a time, Super Bowls were won by acrobatics from Lynn Swann, by Joe Montana beating the clock, by the firm of Aikman, Irvin & Smith, by a 75-yard cutback from Marcus Allen, by The Hogs, and by the Packer Sweep.
Now they're won by Adam Vinatieri field goals.
It is what it is.
And these Patriots are what they are, what passes for a dynasty in what the NFL has become.
:smoker2:
Tom Brady says he was close to his 94 year old grandmother who passed away in California last week, but yet Brady decided to stay in Florida to prepare for the Super Bowl.
What would have happened had his own mother or father died? Would their funeral have had to wait until after the postgame show was over?
I'm just trying to figure out the perspective here of this "All-American" guy.
What would have happened had his own mother or father died? Would their funeral have had to wait until after the postgame show was over?
I'm just trying to figure out the perspective here of this "All-American" guy.
Call it whatever you want
We will take the 3 trophies, ESPECIALLY THAT 15 point dog outright against St Louis.
Lets see there have been 39 Super Bowls,
Cowboys have been to 8 of them
New England 5
Denver 5
Washington 5
PITT 5
GB 4
SF 4
OAK 4
MINN 4
BUFF 4
SO what LETS MAKE SURE WE COMPARE AN APPLE TO AN APPLE. so out of 78 total SB contenders 10 teams have made up 48 of those appearances. and DALL, SF, PITT, GB, NE, WASH, OAK are the only teams with 3 wins or more, and these 6 teams make up 25 of the 39 champions. Please! Please!! do not have Super bowl triva with me.
These 6 teams make up 65% of the leagues champions, Add Denvers 2 out of 5, and 7 total teams in the ENTIRE LEAGUE make up 70% of the SB CHAMPS. So CALL IT WHATEVER YOU WANT
Reggie, I think a direct parent is a mucg more significant passing of a family member versus a 94 old grandmother. What do you think his Grandmother would want him to do? I think play. But if you want to say he is a bad guy for not going to the grandmothers funeral versus the game...you have the right to say so.
ANYWAYS WE IN BOSTON ARE QUITE HAPPY....and hope you are as well. How is Detroit these days????
We will take the 3 trophies, ESPECIALLY THAT 15 point dog outright against St Louis.
Lets see there have been 39 Super Bowls,
Cowboys have been to 8 of them
New England 5
Denver 5
Washington 5
PITT 5
GB 4
SF 4
OAK 4
MINN 4
BUFF 4
SO what LETS MAKE SURE WE COMPARE AN APPLE TO AN APPLE. so out of 78 total SB contenders 10 teams have made up 48 of those appearances. and DALL, SF, PITT, GB, NE, WASH, OAK are the only teams with 3 wins or more, and these 6 teams make up 25 of the 39 champions. Please! Please!! do not have Super bowl triva with me.
These 6 teams make up 65% of the leagues champions, Add Denvers 2 out of 5, and 7 total teams in the ENTIRE LEAGUE make up 70% of the SB CHAMPS. So CALL IT WHATEVER YOU WANT
Reggie, I think a direct parent is a mucg more significant passing of a family member versus a 94 old grandmother. What do you think his Grandmother would want him to do? I think play. But if you want to say he is a bad guy for not going to the grandmothers funeral versus the game...you have the right to say so.
ANYWAYS WE IN BOSTON ARE QUITE HAPPY....and hope you are as well. How is Detroit these days????
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Facts trump pride, ego and "pundits"
Cold, Hard Football Facts for the week of Feb. 3-9, 2005
Some “pundits” still have trouble coping with New England’s success. Primary among them is Michael Irvin of ESPN.
Irvin refuses to admit that the 2004 Patriots are better than any team of the Dallas dynasty of the 1990s. Of course, Irvin played for those Dallas teams. So it’s easy to understand the pride he feels playing for one of the greatest teams in NFL history.
But the Cold, Hard Football Facts know no such thing as pride. They defer only to the harsh, inalterable reality of raw numbers. They've have peered intently at NFL history and made these conclusions:
• The Patriots posted better records against tougher opponents than those Dallas teams of the 1990s. The Cold, Hard Football Facts issued this ruling earlier this week.
• No other team in NFL history ever beat 10 teams with winning records in a single season. The Patriots have done so each of the past two seasons and, over that period, they have a 20-1 record against winning teams (or, as we call them, quality opponents). Quite simply, the Patriots are the most battle-tested team in NFL history and the most succesful team in those battles. The Cold, Hard Football Facts issued this ruling earlier this year.
• New England’s ability to beat top opponents has continued in the postseason. We looked at every Super Bowl champion since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. We discovered that no team faced stiffer postseason competition than the 2004 Patriots.
Unfortunately, pride clouds judgment. That’s clearly the case with Irvin. He insists his Dallas teams are better because they faced the likes of San Francisco and Green Bay in the postseason. But Irvin is wrong. The Cold, Hard Football Facts prove in no uncertain terms that his Dallas teams faced a series of postseason cakewalks compared with the challenges New England overcame on its way to three Super Bowls in four seasons.
Here’s a list of every Super Bowl winner since the AFL-NFL merger, with the cumulative records of their playoff opponents. Note that Bill Belichick has played a role in overcoming three of the four toughest postseason records in modern NFL history.
<TABLE width=410 border=1><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=100>Year</TD><TD width=100>Team</TD><TD width=100>Oppts. record </TD><TD width=100>Oppts. win % </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>2004</TD><TD>New England </TD><TD>40-8</TD><TD>.833</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1990</TD><TD>N.Y. Giants </TD><TD>38-10</TD><TD>.792</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1976</TD><TD>Oakland</TD><TD>32-9-1</TD><TD>.780</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>2001</TD><TD>New England</TD><TD>37-11</TD><TD>.771</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1972</TD><TD>Miami</TD><TD>32-10</TD><TD>.762</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1973</TD><TD>Miami</TD><TD>31-10-1</TD><TD>.756</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>2000</TD><TD>Baltimore</TD><TD>48-16</TD><TD>.750</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1992</TD><TD>Dallas</TD><TD>36-12</TD><TD>.750</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1997</TD><TD>Denver</TD><TD>48-16</TD><TD>.750</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1998</TD><TD>Denver</TD><TD>36-12</TD><TD>.750</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1974</TD><TD>Pittsburgh</TD><TD>31-11</TD><TD>.738</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1975</TD><TD>Pittsburgh</TD><TD>31-11</TD><TD>.738</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1971</TD><TD>Dallas</TD><TD>30-11-1</TD><TD>.732</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1996</TD><TD>Green Bay </TD><TD>35-13</TD><TD>.729</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>2003</TD><TD>New England </TD><TD>35-13</TD><TD>.729</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1988</TD><TD>San Fran </TD><TD>35-13</TD><TD>.729</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1991</TD><TD>Washington</TD><TD>35-13</TD><TD>.729</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1977</TD><TD>Dallas</TD><TD>30-12</TD><TD>.714</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1999</TD><TD>St. Louis </TD><TD>34-14</TD><TD>.708</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1980</TD><TD>Oakland</TD><TD>45-19</TD><TD>.703</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1986</TD><TD>N.Y. Giants </TD><TD>33-14-1</TD><TD>.702</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1983</TD><TD>L.A. Raiders </TD><TD>33-15</TD><TD>.687</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1981</TD><TD>San Fran </TD><TD>33-15</TD><TD>.687</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1984</TD><TD>San Fran </TD><TD>33-15</TD><TD>.687</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>2002</TD><TD>Tampa Bay </TD><TD>33-15</TD><TD>.687</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1985</TD><TD>Chicago</TD><TD>32-16</TD><TD>.667</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1995</TD><TD>Dallas</TD><TD>32-16</TD><TD>.667</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1978</TD><TD>Pittsburgh</TD><TD>32-16</TD><TD>.667</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1989</TD><TD>San Fran </TD><TD>32-16</TD><TD>.667</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1994</TD><TD>San Fran </TD><TD>32-16</TD><TD>.667</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1987</TD><TD>Washington</TD><TD>29-15-1</TD><TD>.659</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1970</TD><TD>Baltimore</TD><TD>26-14</TD><TD>.650</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1993</TD><TD>Dallas</TD><TD>31-17</TD><TD>.646</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1979</TD><TD>Pittsburgh</TD><TD>30-18</TD><TD>.625</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1982</TD><TD>Washington</TD><TD>22-14</TD><TD>.611</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The bottom line is that the 2004 Patriots take a back seat to no team in football history when it comes to the quality of the opponents they faced in the regular season and, again, in the postseason.
Cold, Hard Football Facts for the week of Feb. 3-9, 2005
Some “pundits” still have trouble coping with New England’s success. Primary among them is Michael Irvin of ESPN.
Irvin refuses to admit that the 2004 Patriots are better than any team of the Dallas dynasty of the 1990s. Of course, Irvin played for those Dallas teams. So it’s easy to understand the pride he feels playing for one of the greatest teams in NFL history.
But the Cold, Hard Football Facts know no such thing as pride. They defer only to the harsh, inalterable reality of raw numbers. They've have peered intently at NFL history and made these conclusions:
• The Patriots posted better records against tougher opponents than those Dallas teams of the 1990s. The Cold, Hard Football Facts issued this ruling earlier this week.
• No other team in NFL history ever beat 10 teams with winning records in a single season. The Patriots have done so each of the past two seasons and, over that period, they have a 20-1 record against winning teams (or, as we call them, quality opponents). Quite simply, the Patriots are the most battle-tested team in NFL history and the most succesful team in those battles. The Cold, Hard Football Facts issued this ruling earlier this year.
• New England’s ability to beat top opponents has continued in the postseason. We looked at every Super Bowl champion since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. We discovered that no team faced stiffer postseason competition than the 2004 Patriots.
Unfortunately, pride clouds judgment. That’s clearly the case with Irvin. He insists his Dallas teams are better because they faced the likes of San Francisco and Green Bay in the postseason. But Irvin is wrong. The Cold, Hard Football Facts prove in no uncertain terms that his Dallas teams faced a series of postseason cakewalks compared with the challenges New England overcame on its way to three Super Bowls in four seasons.
Here’s a list of every Super Bowl winner since the AFL-NFL merger, with the cumulative records of their playoff opponents. Note that Bill Belichick has played a role in overcoming three of the four toughest postseason records in modern NFL history.
<TABLE width=410 border=1><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=100>Year</TD><TD width=100>Team</TD><TD width=100>Oppts. record </TD><TD width=100>Oppts. win % </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>2004</TD><TD>New England </TD><TD>40-8</TD><TD>.833</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1990</TD><TD>N.Y. Giants </TD><TD>38-10</TD><TD>.792</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1976</TD><TD>Oakland</TD><TD>32-9-1</TD><TD>.780</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>2001</TD><TD>New England</TD><TD>37-11</TD><TD>.771</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1972</TD><TD>Miami</TD><TD>32-10</TD><TD>.762</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1973</TD><TD>Miami</TD><TD>31-10-1</TD><TD>.756</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>2000</TD><TD>Baltimore</TD><TD>48-16</TD><TD>.750</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1992</TD><TD>Dallas</TD><TD>36-12</TD><TD>.750</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1997</TD><TD>Denver</TD><TD>48-16</TD><TD>.750</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1998</TD><TD>Denver</TD><TD>36-12</TD><TD>.750</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1974</TD><TD>Pittsburgh</TD><TD>31-11</TD><TD>.738</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1975</TD><TD>Pittsburgh</TD><TD>31-11</TD><TD>.738</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1971</TD><TD>Dallas</TD><TD>30-11-1</TD><TD>.732</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1996</TD><TD>Green Bay </TD><TD>35-13</TD><TD>.729</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>2003</TD><TD>New England </TD><TD>35-13</TD><TD>.729</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1988</TD><TD>San Fran </TD><TD>35-13</TD><TD>.729</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1991</TD><TD>Washington</TD><TD>35-13</TD><TD>.729</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1977</TD><TD>Dallas</TD><TD>30-12</TD><TD>.714</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1999</TD><TD>St. Louis </TD><TD>34-14</TD><TD>.708</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1980</TD><TD>Oakland</TD><TD>45-19</TD><TD>.703</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1986</TD><TD>N.Y. Giants </TD><TD>33-14-1</TD><TD>.702</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1983</TD><TD>L.A. Raiders </TD><TD>33-15</TD><TD>.687</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1981</TD><TD>San Fran </TD><TD>33-15</TD><TD>.687</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1984</TD><TD>San Fran </TD><TD>33-15</TD><TD>.687</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>2002</TD><TD>Tampa Bay </TD><TD>33-15</TD><TD>.687</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1985</TD><TD>Chicago</TD><TD>32-16</TD><TD>.667</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1995</TD><TD>Dallas</TD><TD>32-16</TD><TD>.667</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1978</TD><TD>Pittsburgh</TD><TD>32-16</TD><TD>.667</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1989</TD><TD>San Fran </TD><TD>32-16</TD><TD>.667</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1994</TD><TD>San Fran </TD><TD>32-16</TD><TD>.667</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1987</TD><TD>Washington</TD><TD>29-15-1</TD><TD>.659</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1970</TD><TD>Baltimore</TD><TD>26-14</TD><TD>.650</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1993</TD><TD>Dallas</TD><TD>31-17</TD><TD>.646</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1979</TD><TD>Pittsburgh</TD><TD>30-18</TD><TD>.625</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>1982</TD><TD>Washington</TD><TD>22-14</TD><TD>.611</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The bottom line is that the 2004 Patriots take a back seat to no team in football history when it comes to the quality of the opponents they faced in the regular season and, again, in the postseason.
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